Olympus Invites Entries for Global Light Microscopy Image of the Year

Olympus has launched its first Global Image of the Year Life Science Light Microscopy Award, expanding upon the Image of the Year European Life Science Light Microscopy Award, which began in 2017. Those interested in entering the contest may do so through Jan. 31, 2020. Winners of the contest will be selected by a jury and announced in March 2020.

The 2018 European Life Science Light Microscopy Award’s winning image was taken by Håkan Kvanström and shows the shell of a marine snail covered in algae and cyanobacteria. Courtesy of Olympus.

The jury consists of global representatives from both science and the arts, including photographer Ron Caplain; Geoff Williams, a bioimaging facility manager at Brown University; Urs Ziegler, the head of a microscopy imaging facility at the University of Zurich; Stefan Terjung, the operational manager of an advanced light microscopy facility at EMBL Heidelberg; Hiroaki Misono, a graduate school professor of brain science at Doshisha University; Zhu Xueliang, a professor at the Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences; Yalin Wang, director of Biomedical Research Core Facilities at Westlake University, Hangzhou, China; and Wendy Salmon, a light microscopy specialist of a bioimaging facility at MIT.

Three images may be uploaded per contestant along with a brief explanation including the equipment used. Entries will be evaluated based on artistic and visual aspects, scientific impact, and microscope proficiency. Regional prizes in Asia, Europe, and the Americas will be awarded in addition to the global prize. Participants can win a CX43 microscope with a DP27 digital camera, X Line objectives, or an OM-D E-M5 Mark II camera.